Method of making indicator-buttons.



PATENTED FEB. 18,. 1908.

H. MUELLER. METHOD OF MAKING INDICATOR BUTTONS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 23, 1907.

@vi Muses? clear, and exact UNITED s'rA Es PATENT ornion.

HENRY MUELLER, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS, A-SSIGNOR TO I-I. MUELLER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF DECATUR,

ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

METHOD OF MAKING INDICATOR-BUTTONS.

Patented Feb. 18, 1908;.

Application filed August 23'. 1907. Serial No. 389.830.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, HENRY MUELLER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Decatur, Macon county, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Making Indicator-Buttons; and my preferred manner of carrying out the invention is set forth in the following full,

description, terminating wit a claim particularly specifyihg the novelty;

This invention relates to the formation of glazed p0ttery ware, and its object is the production of articles of this character W ich shall be devoid of blemish on their exposed r faces.

or signs constituting indications, but I desire it to be understood that Ido not limit my invention to this or any other use as its particular object is to dispense with the blemish on a face-of such button or article which is finally to be exposed.

In the manufacture of earthen ware articles of this character-among which may be included buttons, knobs, spheres, and heads or points for use in a variety of waysthe prevailing custom is to first mold the device in clay, then burn it at a comparatively high temperature, then apply the indications or other marks as by printing or stamping in rovided they have not been impressed t e act of molding), then dip them in slip, and then while covered with the sticky coating transferring them to the saggar on which they are supported, and againburnin at a relatively low. temperature. ObviousIy the article in its first stage may have no blemish, or if it has it is "covered later by the coating; but the spot on which the article is supported by the, saggar'during the second burning invariably produces a blemish which it is the object of the present invention to reduce or to so locate that it will not be objectionable. If the article be hollow'or a knob, it can be sup orted onthe saggar by a stilt or pinexten ing into said hole, because the blemish is hidden in the final use of the article. i

The specific purpose to which I apply the button is as an indicator for cocks and faucets, and I find it most desirable to make specification, and in the, forming a part thereof,

on certain faces of.

have a hole in it, as

them round in at least one direction as oval, ovoid, or lozenge shape, or round in all directions as spherical, or substantially so.

As shown in the/ accompanying drawings the indicator button is held in thecock by a clamp which embraces and partially covers a portion of it's rounded face, and if the blemish occur on that face it will not he objectionable because it is not on an exposed portion of the button at any time. A sphere must rest on a fiat support on one of its rounded faces, a lozenge can rest on one of such faces, but either is liable to roll off of the narrow point of support. An oval or ovoid button will not stand on its narrow rounded face on a flat'support, and in the commercial use to which I apply the button I desire the indications on its wider rounded faces and therefore object to the blemish occurring on either of them.

Broadly speaking, my inventionconsists in flattening a chord on one of the rounded faces, or on the narrow rounded face of the oval button, so that the same will stand upright on such flattened chord during the second burning in the saggar. Such flattening may and preferably is done either in the act of. molding the button or immediately thereafter, and the degree to which it is flattened is variable. While it may be and preferably isat least fiat so that the chord shall be a right line between points in the periphery, the planeof the chord may be a trifle dished as shown at one place in the drawings, or the chord may contain a hole or as also shown; and I desire the word attened to have such si 'ficance throughout this specification and c aims. In the drawings, Figure i is a sectionai view of a saggar, showing a number of buttons in a varietyof shapes each supported thereon by, one of its fiat faces; Fig. 2 in cludes obverse, reverse, edge, and seotionai viewsof an oval button; Fig. 3 is a sectionai view through the to of a faucet and oval gutton showing how t ig. 4 is a section through a button having a plurality of flattened faces; Fig. 5 is a'section through a button in which the fiattened face is dished; Fig. 6 is a similar section in which the flattened face has a cavity.

Throughout the drawings the letter S designates the saggar, B the button, D the designations thereon, I its flattened face or cavity as for a projection or stilt on the saggar,

e latter is held therein;

faces, F the same when dished, and O a, cavity which may be formed therein. As I do not limit-myself to the manner of forming the flattened face, it may be sufiicient to say that it must be formed before the enameled or lazed surface is a plied.

he method of ma ing this button need not differ from that above described or already or hereafter employed, excepting that p at the roper time the flattened chord must be pro uced and durin the final burning the button must rest on tlat chord so that its remaining faces will have no blemish.

In the button as I use it, one face is inscribed with the word Hot and the opposite face with the word Cold; and with these words on the obverse and reverse of the oval button which l. preferablyemploy, the same is placed-either'side up in a support or seat 2 in a cook or faucet 1 and held in place by the flange 4 of ring-shaped clamp 3 which preferably screws onto the body of the cock. As shown in Fig. 3, the flange is sufiiciently wide to cover and conceal the flattened face, and the hole in the flange exposes the indication. -i vhen it is desired to change the latter, the clam is removed and the button. inverted. lf t e button be spherical it may have quite a number of indications on various faces, as also if it be polygonal, and in either case the clamp is she ed to correspond.

f at is. claimed as new is:

The method of forming substantially round pottery indicator buttons and the like which consists in shaping them with one or more flattened iaces, applying the indications to other faces, supporting thebuttons cranes by said: flattened faces, and glazing and burnmg them while so sup orte 2. The method, of orminground pottery indicator buttons and the like which consists in shaping each button with a flattened chord on one face, applying the indications to other the button by said chord,

button on said chord, and glazlng and burning it while so supported.

4. The method of forming solid spherical vpottery indicator buttons and the like which consists in shaping each button with a flattened chord on one face, ap lying the indi cations to other faces, stan on said chord, and glazing and burning it While so supported.

5. The method of forming round pottery indicator buttons and the like each having a curved periphery in at least one direction,

.which method consists in shaping each button with a flattened chord at one point on said curved periphery, applying the indicavtions to other faces, standing the button on said chord, and glazing and burning it while so supported.

mg the button 4 in testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my signature this the.19th day of August, i907.

. HENRY MUELLER.

Witnesses 'Vincinm .HAMILTGN, Joan L. WADDEILL. 

